Apparatus fob conducting histo



y 5, 1953 M. J. WOLF EI'AL 2,637,632

APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING HISTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS Filed May 25, 1951 l l I3 'lNVENTORS n3. M.\J .WOLF

' A. F. FITTON ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1953 APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING HISTO- CHEMICAL REACTIONS Michael J. Wolf and Alfred F. Fitton, Peoria, Ill., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application May 25, 1951, Serial No. 228,346

(Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

sec. 266) 3 Claims.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes throughout the world, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to apparatus useful in carrying out histochemical reactions, and has among its objects the provision of means for holding securely and protecting a reaction vessel so that fragile material contained therein may be treated with fluid reagents under a wide variety of chemical and physical conditions without mechanical disturbance or damage to the fragile material.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating two embodiments of the invention,

Figure l is a three-dimensional view of one embodiment;

Figure 2 is an elevation thereof with parts broken away for illustration purposes;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation of another embodiment with parts broken away for illustration purposes;

Figure 5 is a top plan view thereof; and

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figures l-3, platform l i has attached thereto spaced upright posts 12 and [3, a cross member I4 being supported by said posts above the platform. Vertically movable plate I"! situated between the platform and cross member is provided with grooves 18 and 19 in which posts l2 and I3 are slidably received. This permits free upward and downward movement of the plate but prevents its rotation.

The histochemical reaction vessel 20 for containing the fragile material to be treated with fluid reagents is placed on the platform. The plate I1 is provided with a recess 2| in its under side which receives the lip of the vessel when the plate is moved downwardly thereon to cover the vessel, a gasket 22 being placed between the lip and plate. At least one aperture 23 extends through the plate for admission of the fluid reagents into the vessel when it is mounted in place. A second similar aperture 24 is desirable to permit exit or entrance of air when liquid is introduced or withdrawn through the first aperture. The apertures are provided with removable closure plugs 25 and 26.

Screw threaded means connects the cross member and plate, operation of the means causing the desired vertical movement of the plate. This comprises a threaded bolt 29 rotatably at-- tached to the top of the plate ll and threadedly engaging in aperture 30 of the cross member I4, a knurled knot 32 on the top end of the bolt being provided for convenient manual operation.

The construction and operation of many of the parts in the embodiment of Figures 4-6 are similar to that of corresponding parts of the embodiment of Figures l-3 and will not be further described in detail. These corresponding parts are platform 4|, posts 42 and 43, cross member 44, plate 41, grooves 48 and 49, reaction vessel 50, recess 5|, gasket 52 and apertures 53 and 54.

The screw-threaded means of the latter embodiment for vertically moving the plate is, however, different. In this instance bolt is fixed to the top of the plate and extends upwardly through an aperture 5| in the cross member. A knurled nut 62 threadedly engages the bolt and is rotatably attached to the cross member by being loosely received in a recess 63 therein.

Also, the means for closing apertures 53 and 54 of the latter embodiment is different. In this instance the plate has a flat upper surface surrounding the apertures and a knurled nut 65 having a flat under surface is threaded on the bolt 60. Upon proper rotation of the nut it may be moved downwardly to bring its flat under surface into sealing engagement with the fiat upper surface on the plate, thus to close the apertures, a gasket 66 being placed between the surfaces to aid in sealing. Figure 4 shows the nut in its position closing the apertures.

We claim:

1. A histochemical reaction apparatus comprising a platform, spaced upright posts attached to the platform, a cross member supported by said posts above the platform, a vertically movable plate situated between the platform and cross member, the posts being slidably received in grooves in the plate to prevent its rotation, a recess in the under side of the plate for receiving the lip of a histochemical reaction vessel placed on the platform, the plate being movable downwardly onto the vessel to cover it with the lip received in the recess, at least one aperture extending through the plate for admission of reagents 4 aperture, a nut having a fiat under surface is threaded on the bolt so as to be moved downward upon rotation and the flat under surface brought into sealing engagement with flat upper surface on the plate thus to close the aperture.

MICHAEL J. WOLF. ALFRED F. FITTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent Fisher Scientific C0. Catalogue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 19, 1935, page 522, Fig. 9 

1. A HISTOCHEMICAL REACTION APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLATFORM, SPACED UPRIGHT POSTS ATTACHED TO THE PLATFORM, A CROSS MEMBER SUPPORTED BY SAID POSTS ABOVE THE PLATFORM, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE PLATE SITUATED BETWEEN THE PLATFORM AND CROSS MEMBER, THE POSTS BEING SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN GROOVES IN THE PLATE TO PREVENT ITS ROTATION, A RECESS IN THE UNDER SIDE OF THE PLATE FOR RECEIVING THE LIP OF A HISTOCHEMICAL REACTION VESSEL PLACED ON THE PLATFORM, THE PLATE BEING MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY ONTO THE VESSEL TO COVER IT WITH THE LIP RECEIVED IN THE RECESS, AT LEAST ONE APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH THE PLATE FOR ADMISSION OF REAGENTS TO THE VESSEL WHEN MOUNTED IN PLACE, AND SCREWTHREADED MEANS CONNECTING SAID CROSS MEMBER TO SAID PLATE OPERATION OF WHICH CAUSES THE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF THE PLATE. 